SEOUL,
South Korea, Sept. 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Chem announced today that its
Platform Technology R&D team has developed a
temperature-responsive Safety Reinforced Layer (SRL), a
material designed to suppress thermal runaway. In
collaboration with Professor Lee
Minah's team from the Department of Battery Engineering at
POSTECH, the material was analyzed, while safety verification was
conducted in partnership with LG Energy Solution. The research
findings were published online in the September edition of
Nature Communications, one of the world's leading scientific
journals.
The thermal runaway suppression material developed by LG Chem is
a composite material that changes its electrical resistance based
on temperature, acting as a "fuse" that blocks the flow of
electricity in the early stages of overheating.
The research team created this thermal runaway suppression
material in the form of a thin layer, just 1 micrometer (1μm)
thick – about one hundredth the thickness of human
hair – positioned between the cathode layer and the current
collector (an aluminum foil that acts as the electron pathway) in
the battery. When the battery's temperature rises beyond the normal
range, between 90°C and 130°C, the material reacts to the heat,
altering its molecular structure and effectively suppressing the
flow of current.
This thermal runaway suppression material is highly responsive
to temperature, with its electrical resistance increasing by 5,000
ohms (Ω) for every 1°C rise in temperature. The material's maximum
resistance is over 1,000 times higher than at normal temperatures,
and it also features reversibility, meaning the resistance
decreases and returns to its original state, allowing the current
to flow normally again once the temperature drops.
Thermal runaway, a leading cause of electric vehicle battery
fires, occurs when the cathode and anode inside the battery
unintentionally come into direct contact, causing a short circuit
and generating heat. Within seconds, the temperature can rise to
nearly 1,000°C, leading to a fire. The thermal runaway suppression
material is expected to be effective in preventing fires by quickly
blocking the reaction path at the early stages of overheating.
In both battery impact and penetration tests, the batteries
equipped with the thermal runaway suppression material either did
not catch fire at all or extinguished the flames shortly after they
appeared, preventing a full-blown thermal runaway event.
In a penetration test involving mobile Lithium Cobalt
Oxide (LCO) batteries, where a nail was used to puncture the
battery, only 16% of regular batteries did not catch fire. However,
none of the batteries with the thermal runaway suppression material
experienced any fire incidents.
In an impact test on Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) batteries for
electric vehicles, where a 10kg weight was dropped onto the
batteries, all of the standard batteries caught fire. In contrast,
70% of the batteries equipped with the thermal runaway suppression
material did not ignite at all, while the remaining 30% saw flames,
but they were extinguished within seconds.
While previous methods involved placing temperature-responsive
materials inside the battery cell, they often faced issues with
slow reaction times or reduced energy density. LG Chem, however,
has successfully developed a material that resolves such issues,
backed by their expertise and patented material design, allowing
for rapid application in mass production processes.
LG Chem has completed safety verification tests for the thermal
runaway suppression material in mobile batteries and plans to
continue safety testing for large-capacity electric vehicle
batteries through next year.
Lee Jong-Ku, CTO of LG Chem, stated, "This is a tangible
research achievement that can be applied to mass production in a
short period of time. We will enhance safety technology to ensure
customers can use electric vehicles with confidence and contribute
to strengthening our competitiveness in the battery market."
About LG Chem
LG Chem is a leading global chemical company with a diversified
business portfolio in the key areas of petrochemicals, advanced
materials, and life sciences. The company manufactures a wide range
of products from high-value-added petrochemicals to renewable
plastics, specializing in cutting-edge electronic and battery
materials, as well as drugs and vaccines to deliver differentiated
solutions for its customers. LG Chem is committed to reaching
carbon-neutral growth by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050 by
managing the impacts of climate change and making positive
contributions to society through renewable energy and responsible
supply chains. Headquartered in Seoul,
Korea, LG Chem has multiple operation sites worldwide and
generated consolidated revenue of KRW 55.2
trillion (USD 41.6billion) in
2023. For more information, please visit www.lgchem.com.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Son Junil
lgchempr@lgchem.com
Liz Choi
lgchempr@webershandwick.com
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SOURCE LG Chem